Sharpsburg council approves routine business, holds closed session on property acquisition

Sharpsburg Mayor Russell Weaver and the town council met Dec. 1, 2025, in the council meeting room at Town Hall and approved routine minutes and the town's November financial report before entering a closed session to consider acquiring real property.

The meeting opened with Councilmember Robbie Waters calling the session to order and leading the pledge. The council approved the meeting agenda on a motion by Waters, seconded by Councilmember Joseph Kudla. Public comment included a statement from resident Erin Short of 225 E. Main Street, who said the Nov. 4 letter she submitted "respectfully requests that the town government promptly comply with the town charter and elect a qualified person to fill the vacancy."

Zoning Administrator Tim Lung reported on recent permitting work and two Board of Zoning Appeals matters: BZA‑25‑001 (St. Paul's Episcopal Church), where a setback variance was approved and a size variance withdrawn after an error in calculation; and BZA‑25‑002 (Town Historic Park), where a sign‑setback variance was approved with no conditions. Lung also said he submitted an executed memorandum of understanding related to County historic tax credits to the Board of County Commissioners for adoption on Dec. 9, 2025.

Mayor Weaver provided several municipal updates. He said the town will gather speed‑bump data in January–February, thanked Town Administrator Debra Valentine‑Smith for mailing a community survey, and described small beautification tasks the council could pursue. He reported that a new light and flagpole have been installed at the Town Historic Park, an identification sign has been designed and contracted for following the BZA action, and informational placards are scheduled for installation.

Weaver said Lutheran Cemetery will be a focal item this fiscal year and asked Councilmember Anne‑Marie McCullough to lead those efforts. He also said permits for work at Big Spring are in place and work is likely to begin in early spring, probably April.

Council business included approval of the Nov. 3, 2025 regular meeting minutes (moved by Councilmember Heather Waters, seconded by Kudla) and an amendment to the Oct. 7, 2024 minutes to remove a name raised by Town Administrator Valentine‑Smith (moved by Robbie Waters, seconded by Heather Waters). The council approved the November financial report on a motion by Robbie Waters, seconded by Joseph Kudla; the transcript reports the motions as "carried" but does not record vote tallies.

Under correspondence, the council accepted a plaque from the fire company and reached consensus to table a $500 invoice from the C&O Canal Trust for economic development and marketing support until the museum is operational. Vice Mayor Jacob Martz reported multiple operational items — including replacement of a broken town‑shed security component with Atlantic Security, installation of a replacement flagpole and historical markers at the new park, purchase of a new PA system, and Memorial Day committee planning (next meeting Jan. 6, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.).

Community partner reports included a Washington County Sheriff's Office summary from Resident Deputy Officer Watkins for November and an announcement from Chris Vincent of the Antietam Battlefield Advisory Committee that luminaries were scheduled for Dec. 6. Mike Arant said December will be his last edition as Town Crier and that the town is seeking an editor for main stories.

Late in the meeting, Vice Mayor Martz moved and Councilmember Robbie Waters seconded a motion to close the regular session and convene a closed session under Maryland Annotated Code, General Provisions Article §3‑305(b)(3) "to consider the acquisition of real property for a public purpose and matters directly related to the acquisition;" the motion carried and the council entered closed session at 6:55 p.m. The council reconvened in open session later and adjourned the meeting at 7:35 p.m.

The Board of County Commissioners' consideration of the county historic tax credit MOU is scheduled for Dec. 9, 2025, and town staff will follow up as that process proceeds.